YouSaid · the spoken record

Shingiro

lines on the record: 336
first: 2013-01-24
most recent: 2019-10-30
sittings or episodes: 20
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Thanks to this peace and stability, regained at a high cost, the thirty-second summit ofHeads of State of the African Union, held on 10 and 11 February in Addis Ababa, welcomed the efforts made by the Government of Burundi in the process of preparing for the 2020 elections, which included by putting in place, inter alia, national mechanisms to prepare for those elections as well as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, in keeping with the 2000 Arusha Agreement. The summit also welcomed the exemplary decision of the Head of State to voluntarily forgo his constitutional right to run in the 2020 elections. The summit also reiterated its many calls on the European Union to lift the unilateral sanctions imposed on Burundi.”
2019-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8465 (2019) · source
“The current political consultations under way in Burundi between registered political parties will continue, in a patriotic, open and constructive spirit, until the successful conclusion of the process. On security, the situation in Burundi is calm, stable and fully under control. This trend is irreversible. Like 2017, 2018 was characterized by a largely satisfactory security situation throughout the national territory, with the exception, of course, of some isolated cases of ordinary crime such as can also found in other countries, including those represented here.”
2019-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8465 (2019) · source
“The freeing of more than 2,000 prisoners last year, which you, Mr. President, highlighted in your national capacity, which included young troublemakers and insurgents from the 2015 events, also falls within the ongoing trend of reconciliation, social cohesion and political tolerance in the country. Concerning the inter-Burundian dialogue, my delegation wishes to recall that dialogue is a culture and a cardinal virtue that is anchored in the lives of the people of Burundi. There is no longer a need for outside actors to take a leadership role in this process, which is our very own. It is clear that the conclusion of the dialogue, which up to now had been conducted by the subregion, does not mean an end to dialogue on the electoral process.”
2019-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8465 (2019) · source
“Without being exhaustive, I wish to stress the repeated statements by the Head of State regarding his decision not to run in the 2020 elections, even though he has every right to under the current Constitution. This is a very important political and democratic gesture that can serve as an example for the subregion and elsewhere. The transfer of power from an outgoing President who has completed his term to the President who will take office in 2020 will be a watershed moment in Burundi's political history, because this will be the first time since the independence of our country, in 1962, that a democratically elected president was able to complete his constitutional mandate without being assassinated, as happened in 1993 with the despicable killing of President Melchior Ndadaye after only 101 days in power.”
2019-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8465 (2019) · source
“The reform of the electoral code aims to adapt it to the new Constitution of7 June 2018. The ultimate objective is to move towards an electoral code that will lead to orderly, transparent and peaceful elections in 2020. At the budgetary level, the Burundian people have chosen to take full ownership of their electoral process by financing it with domestic funds without recourse to external resources, which are often unpredictable and conditional. At the organizational level, everything will be done to create an environment that is conducive to the holding of democratic, credible, inclusive and peaceful elections, which would be a guarantee of political stability in our country. Since the beginning of 2018, the Government of Burundi has consistently been making goodwill gestures aimed at creating a general atmosphere of calm in the country.”
2019-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8465 (2019) · source
“National mechanisms for the organization of peaceful elections in 2020 are gradually being put in place. A Constitution that affirms democratic achievements, national sovereignty, dignity, inclusiveness, reconciliation and national cohesion was promulgated on 7 June 2018 by the Head of State. The National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) has already been set up and is operational. A dialogue between the approved political parties was organized in a politically, ethnically and gender- inclusive manner to reach agreement on the Kayanza road map leading to peaceful elections in 2020. In the same vein, inclusive discussions on the revised draft of the electoral code were initiated and the document has been analysed at the level of the Council of Ministers.”
2019-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8465 (2019) · source
“If I may, I would like to encourage her participation from time to time in future discussions by the Council of the situation of Burundi. Allow me also, through you, Mr. President, to thank the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Burundi, Mr. Michel Kafando, for his briefing this afternoon. The purpose of my statement this afternoon is to share with you, Mr. President, and the members of the Council an overview of the new developments at various levels that have taken place since the last Council meeting on the situation in Burundi, held on 21 November 2018 (see S/PV.8408). At the political level, the trajectory of peace and reconciliation and the strengthening of democracy in Burundi have been positive since 2017. That trend continued in 2018 and the first two months of 2019.”
2019-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8465 (2019) · source
“It would not be out of place to once again express my regret at the fact that there are still a number of delegations - although certainly in the minority - who have held on to the same manifestly fixed positions for more than four years, instead of viewing the situation in Burundi with objectivity and discernment. I cannot help but thank my colleague Ambassador Jiirg Lauber, Chair of the Burundi configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission, for his constructive contribution to this debate. We reaffirm our full support for and cooperation with Mr. Lauber. I would also like to thank my colleague Ambassador Fatima Kyari Mohammed, Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nations, for the very constructive contribution of her briefing to this debate.”
2019-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8465 (2019) · source
“Mr. Shingiro (Burundi) (spoke in French): As this is the first time I am taking the floor under your presidency, Sir, I would like to extend my warm congratulations to you personally and to your country, Equatorial Guinea, on your deserved assumption of the rotating presidency of the Security Council for the month of February. We are very grateful for your country's unparalleled leadership in defending Africa's interests and for its efforts to ensure that the principles of the Charter are respected by the Council. I have the honour to express the same thanks to the other members of the Council for sparing no effort to uphold respect for the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and especially for addressing the situation in Burundi in the Council since 2015.”
2019-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8465 (2019) · source
“The elections therefore are not grounds to justify the Council remaining seized of the situation in Burundi. The convening of inappropriate meetings on Burundi on the basis of an obsolete resolution that no longer fits the reality on the ground could become a destabilizing factor for the country. Most Member States, some of which are members of the Council, disregard the real reasons behind the disproportionate hounding of Burundi, a country whose return to normalcy is well established. History will remember that my country was kept on the Council's agenda unfairly in order to satisfy foreign interests. As I clearly said on 9 August in the Chamber (see S/PV.8325), the valuable time that the Security Council generously devotes to Burundi should be allocated to other areas of tension and conflict, which are rife in other countries.”
2018-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8408 (2018) · source
“The excellent work of our brave soldiers in peace missions, who have willingly chosen to sacrifice their lives to save those of others far from their native land and in particularly hostile conditions, must be duly appreciated. I cannot conclude my remarks without once again reiterating our appeal to the Security Council to have the courage to remove Burundi from its agenda. The current political and security situation in the country is calm and stable. It is far from posing a threat to international peace and security, which is the Council's area of competence. To justify keeping Burundi on the Council's agenda because of the holding of elections in 2020 would mean including on the agenda more than 20 other countries that will have elections in the same year as Burundi.”
2018-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8408 (2018) · source
“Today, the UNDAF is now the main tool for strategic integration and for the United Nations response to our national priorities. That United Nations presence to address development is very useful to Burundi. However, any presence of a political nature is inappropriate. Determining the political future of Burundi is exclusively a national matter. With regard to the peace and security pillar, Burundi is proud to actively and successfully participate alongside other countries in United Nations and African Union peacekeeping missions. More than 6,000 Burundian men and women are deployed in various peacekeeping operations, mainly in the Central African Republic and Somalia.”
2018-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8408 (2018) · source
“For us, dialogue and mutually respectful cooperation are the only appropriate way to find solutions to issues that require coordinated responses between Geneva and Bujumbura. It is a two-way road, where each user must strive to avoid head-on collisions by respecting, of course, the code of conduct, which in this particular case is the Charter of the United Nations. Concerning the development pillar, Burundi appreciates the work of the United Nations country team, which continues to support the country in its socioeconomic development efforts. The United Nations Development Assistance Framework for the period from 2019 to 2023 was developed and adopted by mutual agreement of the Government and the United Nations country team in Bujumbura.”
2018-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8408 (2018) · source
“In view of the challenges presented by that new development plan, the Government of Burundi launches a fervent appeal to all bilateral and multilateral partners to support our country in implementing the national development plan in a spirit of mutually beneficial and, above all, respectful cooperation. With respect to cooperation on the three pillars of United Nations work, the human rights pillar remains the weak element in the good cooperation. Burundi believes that the discordant and tense relations between the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva and Burundi are counterproductive for both parties. Disproportionate pressure based on politically biased reports has never contributed to the promotion of human rights anywhere in the world.”
2018-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8408 (2018) · source
“For Burundi, a democracy that is barely 13 years old, there is still a long way to go, but the willingness to succeed is there and it is tangible. The Independent National Human Rights Commission is operational and contributes enormously to improving the human rights situation in our country. With regard to the socioeconomic situation, the Government of Burundi has just adopted a national development plan for 2018-2027. The national plan is a reference document that sets out the main directions to lead us towards the sustainable development that we wish to see by the year 2030.”
2018-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8408 (2018) · source
“We adhere with conviction to the principles of objectivity, universality, non-selectivity and the non-politicization of human rights. We recognize that isolated cases of human rights violations can occur, just as they can in other countries. For those reasons, in addition to its independent national commission on human rights, the Government has set up judicial commissions ofinquiry to shed light on certain human rights violations alleged to have occurred since the beginning of the insurgency in 2015. Nevertheless, the Council will agree with me that promoting human rights is a long and arduous process that is sometimes fraught with difficulties. It is an ideal that we all strive to achieve. No nation has perfected it, even after more than a century of democracy.”
2018-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8408 (2018) · source
“Nevertheless, my delegation would also like to reiterate its legitimate request to UNHCR and Burundi's friends in the region to intervene in certain host countries - we all know very well which ones they are - that are holding hostage our fellow compatriots in exile by creating artificial barriers to prevent their voluntary return home; and, above all to ensure that refugee camps maintain their civilian character in accordance with the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. UNHCR must ensure that refugee camps are not forcibly transformed into military or paramilitary training camps. With regard to protecting human rights, the Government of Burundi attaches great importance to human rights issues. We have adopted a zero-tolerance policy with regard to human rights violations and we are currently working to implement it.”
2018-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8408 (2018) · source
“That figure includes the 55,495 refugees who have returned to the country since the August 2017 Burundi-Tanzania- Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) tripartite agreement. The voluntary return of refugees, who are coming home mainly from Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is at a pace of more than 1,000 people returning per week.”
2018-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8408 (2018) · source
“With regard to civil society, the Government has already approved more than 6,500 non-profit organizations, more than 100 of which have been approved since January 2016 alone. I would also remind the Council that 15 non-profit organizations that had been under investigation since the failed coup d'etat of 13 May 2015 were allowed to reopen. The approval in accordance with national law of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) is continuing at a reasonable pace. Thirty-eight NGOs have already been approved and are operating as I speak. Several other foreign NGOs that have seen their agendas grow significantly are expected to resume their activities shortly. As for the return of refugees, since 2016 about 250,000 refugees have returned home.”
2018-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8408 (2018) · source
“That is reflected by the more than 20 local public and private radio stations, five community radio stations, 10 radio-television broadcasters, 17 local news and communication agencies, 24 public and private newspapers, 26 websites, eight web television channels, four magazines and 12 professional press associations and bodies that operate in our country. In addition to our local private radio stations, four foreign radio stations are also authorized to broadcast freely in our country. Even the number of people employed in the media sector increased to 122 in 2018, as compared to 94 in 2015, for a substantial increase of 28 media sector workers in three years. To the delegations that were asking questions concerning the freedom of expression, we hope that this paragraph gave them their answers.”
2018-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8408 (2018) · source
“The 2015 crisis is over. It is behind us, even though there are challenges with regard to socioeconomic development that still need to be addressed. Some partners that are still hesitant should have the courage to accept the return to normal, turn the page on 2015 and look to the country's future from a vision- and approach-based perspective. With regard to the freedom of expression, my delegation would like to inform the Council that Burundi has a very rich tradition of freedom of expression and a very active civil society.”
2018-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8408 (2018) · source
“In that regard, Burundi encourages the political actors still in exile who were not involved in the failed coup of 13 May 2015 to return to participate in the 2020 elections and contribute to the ongoing efforts towards socioeconomic development in the country. There is no doubt whatsoever that the successful outcome of the 2020 electoral process will mark a new and glorious chapter in the history of our country and turn the dark page on 2015 once and for all. On the security front, as the Council is aware, the situation in Burundi is calm, stable and fully under control. That is the truth - I am not spreading propaganda. By and large, all the subregional and regional organizations whose high-level delegations recently visited Burundi to inquire about the real situation in the country found that things had returned to normal.”
2018-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8408 (2018) · source
“I would like to take this opportunity to remind the Council, for all intents and purposes, that the key mandate of the Special Envoy was to support the dialogue process, which was just concluded on 29 October. Our projections indicate that, by and large, the year 2019 will focus on planning for the 2020 elections and on implementing Burundi's national development plan. In the spirit of national ownership, which is the guiding principle of peacebuilding, political consultations towards the holding of free, transparent and inclusive elections in 2020 will continue in Burundi in an open and constructive manner that gives a voice to all of the stakeholders involved.”
2018-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8408 (2018) · source
“Both a moral virtue and a political principle, tolerance is also a conduit for peace that we must foster, maintain, strengthen and perpetuate in Burundi. With regard to the inter-Burundian dialogue towards democratic, transparent, inclusive and peaceful elections in 2020, my delegation would like to recall that using dialogue as a tool for achieving consensus-based solutions to problems is a culture that is woven into the daily lives of Burundians. Last month, facilitator Benjamin William Mkapa concluded the last round of the East African Community-led inter-Burundian dialogue, which took place in Arusha. We are very grateful to him for the efforts he made for the past nearly three years to support Burundi in its peace- and democracy-building process.”
2018-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8408 (2018) · source
“As for the creation of an environment conducive to the successful holding of the 2020 elections, everything will be done to guarantee that the elections are democratic, credible, inclusive and peaceful, which will in turn ensure the political and economic stability of our country. Since the beginning of 2018, the Government of Burundi has made a number of concrete gestures of goodwill towards the general easing of tensions in the country. The announcement by the Head of State to not stand for re-election in 2020 - even though he has the right to do so - is a commendable gesture of high political and democratic value. The release at the beginning of the year of more than 2,000 prisoners, including the insurgents of 2015, is also part of the ongoing momentum of reconciliation, social cohesion and political tolerance in the country.”
2018-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8408 (2018) · source
“At the political level, preparations for the 2020 elections are continuing normally and in a relaxed and peaceful atmosphere. The Kayanza road map for peaceful elections in 2020 and the Independent National Electoral Commission are already in place. As far as financing is concerned, Burundians themselves are mobilizing the necessary resources to finance that major electoral event. The fact that the financing for the 2020 elections is virtually complete serves to highlight the will of the Burundian people to take full ownership of the electoral process - their own electoral process.”
2018-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8408 (2018) · source
“I would also like to thank my colleague Ambassador Jiirg Lauber, Chair of the Burundi configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission, for his constructive contribution at this meeting, and we renew our full cooperation with him. I cannot help but thank the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General. Mr. Michel Kafando, for his briefing and for the Secretary-General's report (S/2018/1028), even though I do not agree with all of its content - indeed, there is a wide gap between what the report describes and the real situation on the ground in Burundi. The purpose of my briefing is to share with the members of the Council the new developments since the previous meeting on the situation in Burundi, held on 9 August (see S/PV.8325).”
2018-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8408 (2018) · source
“Mr. Shingiro (Burundi) (spoke in French): As this is the first time that I take the floor under your presidency, Mr. President, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of November. My delegation would also like to thank all the members of the Council that have never ceased to uphold respect for the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations in addressing the situation in Burundi here in the Council. We are very grateful for that. We regret the fact that, for three years now, certain delegations remain unwilling to acknowledge the progress we have made. We hope that their stance will change in line with the pace of the situation on the ground.”
2018-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8408 (2018) · source
“The place that Burundi deserves today is not in this Chamber; it should be within the United Nations agencies in charge of socioeconomic development to boost its economic recovery.”
2018-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8325 (2018) · source
“My delegation draws particular attention to the fact that the organization of a spate of meetings on Burundi that are not motivated by the reality on the ground could become a factor of destabilization for the country, instead of promoting the peace and stability sought by all, and could monopolize regional efforts. This fury against Burundi, a country whose return to normalcy is well established, should cease; ifit does not, history will remember that our country was kept on the Council's agenda unjustly in order to meet non-Burundian and non-African interests. The valuable time that Council alloeates to Burundi should be devoted to other areas oftension and conflict, which are legion at the moment, as we all know.”
2018-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8325 (2018) · source
“The excellent work of our brave soldiers on a peace mission, who have voluntarily chosen to sacrifice their lives by saving those of others, far from their native land and in particularly difficult conditions, must be appreciated and recognized at its true value. In conclusion, my delegation reiterates its strong appeal to the Security Council to have the courage to remove Burundi from its agenda. It is worth noting that the current political and security situation in the country is calm, stable and completely under control. It is far from posing a threat to international peace and security, which is the Council's area of competence. No objective argument can justify the holding of untimely meetings on Burundi at this juncture.”
2018-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8325 (2018) · source
“I also recall that, following the undisputed return of peace and security in our country, the African Union Summit of Heads of State and Government held in early July in Mauritania adopted a resolution demanding the European Union to lift the unjust and immoral sanctions weighing heavily on Burundi, which are, as members know, contrary to the principles of Charter of the United Nations and negatively affect vulnerable groups like women and children. Concerning cooperation with the United Nations, Burundi is proudto participate actively and outstandingly in United Nations and African Union peacekeeping missions. More than 6,000 Burundian men and women have been deployed in various peacekeeping operations throughout the world, especially in the Central African Republic and Somalia.”
2018-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8325 (2018) · source
“With regard to the economic sanctions that European Union partners imposed upon Burundi following the unrest caused by the 2015 elections, my delegation would like to inform the members of the Council that the context in which those sanctions were imposed has fundamentally changed. The electoral tensions of 2015 are no more. For us, they are a page in history that will serve as a lesson to irreversibly reconcile our country.”
2018-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8325 (2018) · source
“In that context, Burundi continues to cooperate in implementing the resolution adopted by the Group of African States on 28 September 2017 in Geneva within the framework of cooperation and capacity-building. Burundi is awaiting official notification from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the appointment of three experts in transparency and due process. What has been said about Burundi's so- called lack of cooperation in the implementation of that resolution, which we own as our own, as we supported it, is owing to misinformation and a lack of transparency. The same can be said concerning the memorandum of understanding on the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Burundi. Burundi remains very open to pursuing discussions in a constructive spirit.”
2018-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8325 (2018) · source
“My delegation nevertheless reiterates its request to UNHCR and our friends in the region to work with certain host countries holding our compatriots hostage in exile by erecting artificial barriers towards their voluntary return to Burundi and towards ensuring that the refugee camps maintain their civilian character in accordance with the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees of 1951 and resolution 2389 (2017), on the Great Lakes Region, adopted on 8 December 2017. With regard to human rights, Burundi once again reiterates its readiness to work and cooperate with other nations and the United Nations to promote the protection of human rights in Burundi and elsewhere throughout the world. That noble mission will be made possible only through stepped-up cooperation and frank dialogue among Member States.”
2018-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8325 (2018) · source
“That number includes 100,000 refugees, who decided to return in 2016; 168,000 who returned to their families from January to August 2017; and another 38,254 who have returned to the country since the tripartite agreement of August 2017 among the Governments of Burundi, Tanzania and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The voluntary return of refugees is continuing at a satisfactory pace.”
2018-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8325 (2018) · source
“This past week, His Excellency the President of Uganda, the chief mediator of the inter-Burundian dialogue, granted an audience to the first Vice-President of Burundi, who conveyed a special message from His Excellency President Nkurunziza to his Ugandan counterpart. Similarly, early this week, His Excellency the President of the United Republic of Tanzania also received in audience the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Burundi, who also carried a special message from the President of the Republic of Burundi to his Tanzanian counterpart - all of which is an indication that regional political dynamics are healthy despite what has been said in this Chamber. With regard to the return of refugees, I am pleased to inform the Council that, to date, since 2016, more than 206,000 refugees have voluntarily returned to Burundi.”
2018-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8325 (2018) · source
“Besides the commendable efforts of the East African Community, Burundi enjoys a Political Party Forum, which is an excellent platform for promoting dialogue among authorized political parties in Burundi. Within that context, all political parties met in Kayanza, in the north of Burundi, on 3 August to discuss informally significant issues concerning the 2020 elections. That meeting resulted in the adoption of a road map by more than 20 political parties with a view towards free, inclusive and peaceful elections in 2020. With regard to regional dynamics, they remain on course. Contacts at the highest level have continued since the Council's latest meeting on the subject.”
2018-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8325 (2018) · source
“That has been reflected in the return and reintegration of several thousand refugees, as well as several political leaders who had fled the country, including former President Sylvestre Ntibantunganya and former Vice-President Alice Nzomukanda, as well as several former Burundian parliamentarians. Those politicians who returned to their country are freely enjoying their civil and political rights today. The release of more than 2,000 prisoners in early 2018 is also part of that dynamic of reconciliation, social cohesion and political tolerance under way in the country. With regard to the inter-Burundian dialogue, my delegation recalls that, as a means of finding peaceful solutions to political disputes, dialogue has become a way of life in our country. Those asking us to promote dialogue today are pushing on an open door.”
2018-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8325 (2018) · source
“President - who had attributed to him the intention to fashion the new Constitution to his own ends so as to remain in power until 2034, the President's gesture was of great political and democratic significance and strengthened democratic processes in the region and on the African continent. His gesture should be encouraged and welcomed. I thank all the delegations that commended that action, which was extremely important not only for Burundi but also for the subregion. Furthermore, with regard to the political sphere, it would not be an overstatement to say that the spirit of tolerance and the process clearing the way for and opening Burundian political space are becoming increasingly strengthened.”
2018-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8325 (2018) · source
“At the conclusion of his visit and after having travelled to six provinces within the country, the Chairperson issued a statement in which he declared that he had found Burundi to be a calm and stable country. He was impressed by the evident will of the Burundian political class to turn over a new leaf vis-a-Vis 2015, in order to work towards the holding of free, transparent and peaceful elections in 2020. With regard to the political situation, the Council will recall that, upon the promulgation of Burundi's new Constitution on 7 June, the President of the Republic informed Burundians and the international community that his second term of office would end in 2020 and that he would support the new President to be elected the same year. Contrary to the statements of some - as you will recall, Mr.”
2018-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8325 (2018) · source
“The purpose of my statement this morning is to share with members of the Security Council new developments in Burundi since previous briefing on the situation in my country, on 24 May (see S/PV.8268). As one can see, the security situation in Burundi has remained calm, stable and fully under control. The return to normalcy in the country has allowed, inter alia, the holding of the constitutional referendum, which took place without major incident, the large-scale return of refugees and the hosting of several conferences at the regional and continental levels, as well as the welcoming of foreign dignitaries visiting Burundi. The visit of the Chairperson of the African Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union took place just this past week.”
2018-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8325 (2018) · source
“I thank all the delegations that spoke this morning, but we regret that a small number among them remain wedded to the narrative of 2015 and fail to note positive developments in Burundi that have led to the positive situation referred to by the Special Envoy, who enjoys the support of everyone here. The tendency to diametrically oppose the position held by the Special Envoy and the majority of States Members and disregard developments of the situation on the ground, while adhering to the 2015 narrative, is not a constructive approach, and it should change. I warmly welcome the presence of Mr. Michel Kafando, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Burundi, this morning. I cannot thank him enough for his briefing.”
2018-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8325 (2018) · source
“Mr. Shingiro (Burundi) (spoke in French): As this is the first time I am taking the floor under the United Kingdom presidency, I would first like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your country's assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of August. Knowing your experience and your team's proven professionalism and dynamism, we have no doubt that your presidency will be a successful one, and you can count on Burundi's cooperation throughout your tenure. I would also like convey through you my thanks to all the members of the Security Council, who since 2015 have always supported the sovereignty and political independence of Burundi and respected the principles of the Charter of the United Nations during their consultations on Burundi.”
2018-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8325 (2018) · source
“Our participation in peace missions is to pay back the international community, which stood by Burundi in the dark moments of its history before the rebirth of democracy in 2005. The time and energy allocated to Burundi should be directed to other areas of conflict and tension, which are increasingly numerous. I ask the Council to listen to us and consider our appeal. Otherwise, history will remember that Burundi was kept on its agenda above and beyond the criteria established by the United Nations Charter, and that risks creating a dangerous precedent.”
2018-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8268 (2018) · source
“I cannot conclude my statement without reiterating our urgent request to remove Burundi from the Security Council agenda. There are no objective criteria that justify keeping Burundi on the Council's agenda, per the provisions ofthe Charter, which everyone is familiar with. We are not asking for preferential treatment. Rather, we are asking that Burundi be treated fairly like the other Members, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations. The current situation in Burundi in no way poses a threat to international peace and security - the main mission ofthe Security Council. Onthe contrary, Burundi participates actively and admirably in peacekeeping missions around the world, with more than 6,000 men and women deployed, mainly in Somalia and the Central African Republic.”
2018-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8268 (2018) · source
“Here and now, we reaffirm our full cooperation with the international community in protecting and promoting human rights in accordance with the ground rules established in the Charter of the United Nations. With regard to the return of refugees, the voluntary repatriation movement that began in 2016 is continuing at a satisfactory pace with the arrival of several thousand citizens who had taken refuge in Tanzania in particular. To date more than 200,000 Burundians have already returned home on a voluntary basis. Burundi expects 72,000 returnees by the end ofthis year, mainly from Tanzania. On the humanitarian front, Burundi hopes that any support from the international community will be primarily directed to the development efforts under way in the country. Humanitarian aid should be limited to people in emergency situations.”
2018-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8268 (2018) · source
“With regard to bilateral cooperation with our partners, Burundi reiterates its commitment to strengthening its mutually beneficial friendly and cooperative relations with both traditional and non-traditional partners in a spirit of constructiveness and mutual respect. We must together turn the page on 2015 and set ourselves towards Burundi's future, in particular towards peaceful elections in 2020. We wish for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Burundi living in harmony with its neighbours and the other nations of the world. In the area of human rights, Burundi continues its efforts to promote and protect human rights from both legislative and institutional perspectives.”
2018-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8268 (2018) · source
“The African Parliamentary Union also regrets the poor understanding of the political, social and security situation in Burundi following disinformation campaigns that currently permeate the international community. During his statement to the press, the Chairperson of the Executive Committee of the African Parliamentary Union stated, among other things, that "what is being said about Burundi and what we see on the ground is different". He said that what they had found was "a viable and peaceful Burundi - a country that needs support in its reconciliation and development efforts".”
2018-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8268 (2018) · source
“The successful holding of a free, transparent, democratic and peaceful constitutional referendum and the organization, from 22 to 23 May, of the seventy-second session of the Executive Committee of the African Parliamentary Union in Bujumbura bear witness to that. At the end of its session, the African Parliamentary Union welcomed the positive developments in the political, security and social situation in Burundi. It believes that the normalization of the general situation in the country should push our European Union partners to normalize their relations with Burundi by lifting the economic sanctions, which are unfairly causing difficulties for the Burundian people.”
2018-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8268 (2018) · source